Exodus 3
1 Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
Kwathi uMosi eselusa izimvu zikayisezala uJethro, umphristi waseMidiyani, waseqhuba izimvu zaya kude ohlangothini lwenkangala wasefika eHorebhi, intaba kaNkulunkulu.
2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed.
Lapho-ke ingilosi kaThixo yabonakala kuye iphakathi kwamalangabi omlilo esixukwini. UMosi wabona ukuthi loba isixuku sasibhebha kasizange sitshe.
3 So Moses thought, “I must go over and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burning up?”
Ngakho uMosi wacabanga esithi, “Ngizasondela ngiyebona isimanga lesi ukuba kungani isixuku singatshi silothe.”
4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered.
Kwathi uThixo ebona ukuthi usesondele ukuba ayekhangela, uNkulunkulu wasememeza ngelizwi elaliphuma kulesosixuku wathi, “Mosi! Mosi!” UMosi wathi, “Ngilapha.”
5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
UNkulunkulu wathi, “Ungasondeli. Khupha amanyathela akho, ngoba indawo omi kuyo ingumhlabathi ongcwele.”
6 Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Wasesithi njalo, “NginguNkulunkulu kayihlo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama, uNkulunkulu ka-Isaka loNkulunkulu kaJakhobe.” Ngalokhu, uMosi wafihla ubuso bakhe ngoba wayesesaba ukukhangela uNkulunkulu.
7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
UThixo wasesithi, “Impela ngilubonile usizi lwabantu bami eGibhithe. Ngibazwile bekhala ngenxa yezinduna zezigqili ezibancindezelayo, njalo ngiyakhathazeka ngokuhlupheka kwabo.
8 I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
Ngakho ngehlile ukuzabakhulula ezandleni zamaGibhithe ngibakhuphe kulelolizwe ngibase elizweni elilendawo enengi, ilizwe eligeleza uchago loluju, endaweni yamaKhenani, amaHithi, ama-Amori, amaPherizi, amaHivi lamaJebusi.
9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me, and I have seen how severely the Egyptians are oppressing them.
Ukukhala kwabako-Israyeli sekufikile kimi, njalo sengibonile lendlela amaGibhithe ababahlukuluza ngayo.
10 Therefore, go! I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
Ngakho suka uhambe. Ngikuthuma kuFaro ukuthi uyekhupha abantu bami abako-Israyeli elizweni laseGibhithe.”
11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
Kodwa uMosi wathi kuNkulunkulu, “Kambe ngingubani ukuba ngiye kuFaro ukuyakhupha abako-Israyeli elizweni laseGibhithe na?”
12 “I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”
UNkulunkulu wasesithi, “Ngizakuba lawe. Lesi sizakuba yisibonakaliso sokuthi yimi engikuthumileyo: Nxa usubakhuphile abantu eGibhithe, lizakhonza uNkulunkulu kuyonale intaba.”
13 Then Moses asked God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ What should I tell them?”
UMosi wathi kuNkulunkulu, “Aluba ngifika kwabako-Israyeli ngithi kubo, ‘UNkulunkulu waboyihlo ungithumile kini,’ besebengibuza bathi, ‘Ungubani ibizo lakhe?’ Ngizakuthini kubo?”
14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
UNkulunkulu wathi kuMosi, “Nginguye Onguye. Lokhu yikho ozakutsho kwabako-Israyeli ukuthi, ‘Unguye ungithumile kini.’”
15 God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.
UNkulunkulu wabuye wathi kuMosi, “Tshono kwabako-Israyeli uthi, ‘uThixo, uNkulunkulu waboyihlo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama, uNkulunkulu ka-Isaka, loNkulunkulu kaJakhobe ungithumile kini.’ Leli libizo lami laphakade, ibizo engizakhunjulwa ngalo kusukela kusizukulwane kusiya kwesinye isizukulwane.
16 Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me and said: I have surely attended to you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt.
Hamba uyebuthanisa abadala bako-Israyeli uthi kubo, ‘uThixo, uNkulunkulu waboyihlo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama, ka-Isaka loJakhobe, ubonakele kimi wathi: Bengilikhangele njalo ngikubonile okwenziwe kini eGibhithe.
17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your affliction in Egypt, into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’
Futhi ngithembisile ukulikhupha osizini lwenu elikulo eGibhithe ngilise elizweni lamaKhenani, amaHithi, ama-Amori, amaPherizi, amaHivi lamaJebusi, ilizwe eligeleza uchago loluju.’
18 The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’
Abadala bako-Israyeli bazakulalela. Kuzakuthi wena kanye labadala liye enkosini yaseGibhithe lithi kuyo, ‘uThixo, uNkulunkulu wamaHebheru uhlangane lathi. Sivumele sithathe uhambo lwezinsuku ezintathu siye enkangala ukuyanikela imihlatshelo kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.’
19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless a mighty hand compels him.
Kodwa ngiyakwazi ukuthi inkosi yaseGibhithe ayiyikulivumela ukuthi lihambe ngaphandle kokuba incindezelwe yisandla esilamandla.
20 So I will stretch out My hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders I will perform among them. And after that, he will release you.
Ngakho ngizakwelula isandla sami ngiwatshaye amaGibhithe ngazozonke izimanga engizazenza phakathi kwawo. Ngemva kwalokho, izalivumela lihambe.
21 And I will grant this people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that when you leave, you will not go away empty-handed.
Njalo ngizakwenza amaGibhithe abe lomusa kulababantu, ukuze kuthi mhla lisuka lingahambi lingaphethe lutho.
22 Every woman shall ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.”
Wonke owesifazane kacele kumakhelwane wakhe lakuye wonke owesifazane ohlala endlini yakhe izinto eziligugu ezenziwe ngesiliva legolide kanye lezigqoko ezizagqokwa ngamadodana lamadodakazi enu. Ngaleyondlela lizawemuka impahla amaGibhithe.”
